A series of hearings set up to decide the future of a Harrisburg charter school have been postponed amid ongoing turmoil within the local school district, including a Friday court decision that all but prohibits elected school board members from making binding decisions.

For now, the fate of Premier Arts and Science Charter School remains unclear despite a pending revocation of its charter, which was set into motion by Harrisburg School Board members last year.

Court hearings on the charter school’s shutdown were set to begin Monday, but on Saturday, district spokeswoman Kirsten Keys confirmed that they had been delayed.

Then, Keys pointed out a statement that had been posted to the district website’s homepage. The message reads: “The public hearings scheduled pursuant to the charter school law on the proposed non-renewal of the charter issued to Premier Arts and Science Charter School are postponed.”

Keys said the postponement of the hearings was announced Friday on the district’s website, but she would not provide additional details about the circumstances that led to the delay or for how long the hearings will be put off.

“No further information is available at this time,” she said.

On Friday, district officials, including solicitor James Ellison, appeared in Dauphin County Court. There, Ellison argued against the state Department of Education’s petition for an injunction that would prohibit elected Harrisburg School Board members form approving new contracts.

That’s at least until a court decision is made on whether the district will be placed under state control — a request that was made by Department of Education officials amid ongoing academic and financial underperformance within Harrisburg schools.

On Friday, Judge William T. Tully ruled in favor of the injunction, adding language that would allow board members to take action on routine business, including hirings, only if they first obtain written consent from state-appointed Recovery Officer Janet Samuels. State officials have asked that Samuels be named receiver — top decision maker — if the district enters state control.

The settlement did not appear on the meeting’s agenda, and Ellison said Friday that Samuels was not told about the potential vote until an hour before the scheduled meeting, which was eventually canceled. Samuels, appointed by the state to oversee a recovery plan aimed at improving the district, opposed the settlement, commonwealth attorney Amy Foerster said.

The details of that settlement were not revealed.

District officials would not confirm whether the postponement of the hearings was related to Tully’s Friday decision. Samuels did not immediately respond to a number of questions sent to her by email Saturday afternoon, and Ellison referred questions to attorney Allison Petersen, who is representing the district in the Premier case.

“I can only confirm that the hearings will not proceed next week,” Ellison said.

Petersen did not immediately respond to a Saturday email.

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